Market
by Teleri Pendaren
Summary: AMTDI cliché of sorts all wrapped up in what is really a Road Not Taken musing. Lorne/Carter with mild McKay/Brown and Ronon/Teyla references.


Title: Market  
Author: Pendaren  
Summary: AMTDI cliché of sorts all wrapped up in what is really a Road Not Taken musing  
Season: SGA Season 4  
Spoilers: SGA Season 4 spoilers  
Pairing: Undisclosed - may piss people off, unless you are firmly embedded in the multi-shipper lane (or damn nosy) don't read.  
Rating: R  
Word Count: 7074  
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, not even in my wildest dreams; or so the men in the white coats with the colorful pills tell me.

_AN: I promised to write this as a birthday present for an IRC friend and here it is. It is her fault really, she was the one who asked for a tRNT fix. Betaed by the lovely and talented "triciabyrne1978". Hope everyone else enjoys it too._

* * *

**Market**

The room was bright and well lit. One could possibly mistake it for a lavish royal room if it wasn't for the lack of windows and the heavy-duty barred door. Sam glanced around the room as Teyla and Dr. Brown tended to the injured Lieutenant. If she were superstitious she would think she was cursed. If it wasn't for the fact that Sheppard's team seemed to have the same bad luck as SG-1, given that this was her first off world mission in this galaxy and it went downhill quite quickly, she would blame herself for this predicament. She looked around at the other women from who knows how many planets. After taking in the lack of a ready-made escape she turned back towards the others from Altantis that were captured with her. Teyla was calm, either living under fear of the wraith all her life or having been on Sheppard's team for three years seemed to make her take the situation in stride. Dr. Brown was a bit pale but Sam didn't know if it was shock or Lieutenant Cadman's blood that made her so. She hoped that it was the blood, cause that could be stopped; as opposed to shock because the last thing she needed right now was the woman going into hysterics and hinder any escape.

"How is she?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine ma'am," Cadman answered through gritted teeth. "The knife went clean through."

Sam knelt down and took her own assessment. Cadman wiggled her fingers and Sam smiled in relief. "Looks good."

Sam felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and saw one of the women that was imprisoned with them hand her a basin and several little bags. "Medicine." She said before backing away quickly.

Sam placed the basin down near the doctor and handed her a rag. "Could you tear this into strips and wet them please, Dr Brown."

"Sure, Colonel Carter," she nodded and took the cloth. "The name's Katie by the way."

Sam nodded back and continued to dig in the medicine pouches. She tilted a white powder into one hand and looked at Teyla. "Any idea what does what?"

"I have not seen this particular medicine before."

The woman who had handed the medicine to Sam walked back over to them and knelt down. "This is to heal the wound," She placed the contents of what was in Sam's hand onto the wet rag Katie handed to her and placed it on top of Cadman's arm. Sam placed her hand on top of the cloth to apply a bit of pressure when she felt it heat up. Cadman gasped and passed out.

"Damn it," Sam tapped Cadman on the cheek. "Come on, Lieutenant, wake up." When she didn't get a response she hit a little harder. "Laura, I need you conscious."

Cadman responded with a groan. Sam lifted the cloth and saw the wound appeared to have been cauterized.

A bell rang out and most of the women scurried to grab a fruit from the table in the center. They began to devour it like they were starving. "Eat this quickly. It will help you later." The helpful woman handed each of them a piece.

* * *

The market they walked up to was bustling. Vendors yelled out to potential customers as they passed by in hopes that they would buy their wares. Sheppard still felt the pain in his shoulder but there was no way he would stop until he had succeeded. He looked back at McKay, Ronon and Major Lorne. Out of a twelve-man mission, four had been taken and four were sent back to Atlantis due to injuries. This little trading mission had turned south when their camp had been robbed and several of the expedition members had been taken or injured. He was about to ask the locals if they knew the whereabouts of the missing people when Ronon spat on the ground.

"Sheppard, you won't find them here. See those people over there." Ronon pointed to two women wearing collars. "They are slaves. If this planet trades slaves, more than likely a slaver took the women. Ask them where the nearest slave trader is."

* * *

The woman held the fruit out to each of them and they glanced at each other. Sam hated to risk eating anything off world but the woman's eyes pleaded.

"Thank you," Sam grabbed them and the woman walked away. "What do you think?" She handed them to Katie.

"They look alright. Maybe they are about to feed everyone and the food may be hard to digest or toxic without some help, like an enzyme in the fruit that makes the food digestible or an antidote that neutralizes the toxin."

"She did say it would help us later. Maybe it is a vaccine of some kind and we are about to be exposed to an infected individual." Teyla pointed out.

"They aren't going to sleep so it isn't a sedative." Cadman added.

"Alright, the risk appears to be minimal and if they are antidotes or vaccines of some kind it would be in our best interests to eat them so," Sam nodded to them and took a bite. The fruit was sweet and juicy, the white fleshy pulp the texture of a mango. After a few minutes they heard the door being unbarred. "Looks like they are about to enter. Lieutenant, you stay with Dr. Brown while Teyla and I try to knock out the guards."

"I'm perfectly fine, Ma'am. I can..."

"It isn't your fitness I'm worried about, Lieutenant, Katie here needs protection too. You're it."

The door swung open with a groan. Sam and Teyla sprang to their feet and launched themselves at the guards. The first shot went wide as Sam sent the weapon flying and the man to the ground nursing his arm in pain, the second guard she shoved into the wall before he could unholster his weapon. Teyla wrestled with another two men, sending one to the floor with a quick elbow to the lower back and pinned the other against the door frame. Neither could avoid the fifth gaurd however, whom stood beside a silk-robed man, as he fired his weapon and paralyzed them both.

"These must be unbroken, take them to the training room while I retrieve the customers." They were lifted and carried down the hall by the injured guards while the rest of the women were commanded to their feet.

* * *

"We have many women to chose from, fit to bear you many slaves. Did you have any preference? Over here we have the young and nubile, a few are even virginal." The slaver merchant smiled and gestured to rooms that were open. His robes flowing with the gesture. A quick glance into the rooms showed the young girls were barely in their teens.

"We were hoping for more experienced women." Sheppard tried not to reach over and break the man's neck as he spoke.

"More entertaining." Ronon added from behind him.

The man looked him over and nodded down the hall. "You may find the women down there more pleasing then. You look like the type that could handle them. Big discount too."

"Major, go with Ronon and see if you like anything. McKay and I will take a look at what else he has to offer and see if we find something we want." Sheppard smiled at the slave trader while wishing to be anywhere but there.

* * *

Sam and Teyla were deposited in a small room. There were only two other women in this room and both were shackled to the wall and unconscious. Sam felt pins and needles start to climb through her limbs but she couldn't do much but wiggle her toes and fingers.

She never even saw the prod coming her way before she felt the pain arc through her. Her body felt as if it were on fire. Like being hit by a goa'uld pain stick but she couldn't shout out. Sam wavered on the edge of consciousness as she saw Teyla get hit.

* * *

Sheppard and McKay walked up to a big room and saw several women standing. He caught a glimpse of Cadman and Dr. Brown and made a subtle hand gesture to Cadman as he walked around the room. He looked at all the woman as if sizing them up. She nodded an acknowledgement and pinched Katie when it looked like she was going to show recognition and say something. He saw McKay open his mouth and quickly shut it and silently thanked whoever could be listening that McKay was smart enough to figure out that saying anything now would make this a lot harder.

He wandered over to two women and looked them over before stopping in front of his two friends.

"How much for these two."

"Ah, well one I'm not sure if she is fully trained yet, and both their captures were recent. We haven't even had the time to make them presentable. Would you care to test them out yourselves?"

"Sure."

"Test?" McKay added confused.

"Follow me," The trader gestured to a side room. "Bring them." He commanded his guards.

Sheppard glanced back and saw the two women being walked behind them. They reached a room that was curtained in opaque sheets; the trader parted them and revealed a huge bed. After everyone was lead into the room the trader let the curtains fall back down. "I'll be right here if you need anything." He said from the other side.

"Oh boy."

"Do they want us to…?"

"Why are you having any qualms about this? She's your girlfriend." Sheppard pointed to Katie.

"I'm not one for exhibitionism."

"Just make it look good, you don't have to actually DO anything. All they will see is your shadow." Sheppard spoke low and gestured to the curtains.

"Easy for you to say." McKay grumbled as he laid down on the bed next to Katie.

"Are you okay, Lieutenant?" Sheppard asked Cadman as he leaned over her.

"Yes, sir."

"Call me, John." He could hear McKay speaking in soft tones nearby as he drew his jacket off.

"Um, Katie..." McKay leapt up. "KATIE!"

"What the hell is wrong with you McKay!?" Sheppard hissed.

"Did you want to try someone else?" The slave trader called through the curtain.

"Uh, no, I'm fine, she's fine, no problems here, nope, none at all," McKay babbled.

"Would you like to give her more fruit?" A hand reached through the separation with a bowl and McKay grabbed it without thinking. "It should make her easier to bed."

* * *

Sam saw Ronon and Major Lorne walk into the small room, her vision was a bit blurred and her ears rang. The man with the prod glanced at them and put his instrument down as they talked; the ringing masked their conversation. She felt him inject something into her neck and she braced herself, but instead of more pain the ache subsided, the ringing stopped and she could move again. The man did the same to Teyla and handed the prod to Ronon. "Unless you are up for a challenge I wouldn't recommend them. And if they die you still have to pay." She smiled at them and was about to voice her happiness at being found but kept her joy to herself when Ronon responded, "I like a challenge in my slave."

* * *

"What do you think this fruit is?" McKay lifted one to show Sheppard.

"No clue. Wait a sec, did the man say more fruit?"

"Sorry, sir, we sort of ate one already. All the women in the room ate one and Colonel Carter thought, actually we all thought, the risk was minimal and there was a positive benefit." Cadman kept her voice down.

"Katie," McKay leaned over his girlfriend and got dragged down and kissed.

"Guess the fruit is some form of female viagra," Sheppard looked warily at Cadman like she was going to bite. "You aren't going to..."

"I don't feel anything, okay maybe a slight tingle, but no strong urge to jump your bones or anything."

"How's Katie, Rodney?" Sheppard asked with concern.

McKay pulled her up and looked into her eyes. "Her pupils are dilated, her pulse is racing, she is flushed, jeez, looks like she's high as a kite."

"Sounds like you won't have to fake it after all." Sheppard snickered.

"What?" McKay tried to keep his voice low but the squeak was evident in it anyways.

* * *

Sam looked over at Ronon and the Major. The former stepped in front of Teyla and yanked her head back. "Bet this one is entertaining. Go take a look at that one." Major Lorne walked up to Sam as Ronon proceeded to look over Teyla.

"One of those planets, huh, Major?" Sam whispered as she felt him check out her ribs for any breaks while appearing to feel her up. She wasn't ticklish but for some reason she felt goose bumps travel through her as his hands moved along her sides.

"Yes, ma'am. Any breaks or injuries?" He backed her into the wall and whispered in her ear. From the corner of her eye she could see Ronon doing the same to Teyla.

"Nothing serious. Lieutenant Cadman suffered a minor injury but it shouldn't interfere with any escape." Her thoughts stopped when she felt his breath graze along her neck.

"Did you want to try these two out, Masters?" The man in the room asked.

"How much are they?" Lorne shook his head.

"These two are feral and untested so two fifty for the pair."

"Are you the owner of all the slaves?" Ronon asked.

"Um, no."

"Then you are wasting my time. I wish to make a deal with the merchant. I believe he's with our friends. Go get him." Ronon commanded.

The man walked out, clearly disappointed.

"What was wrong with two fifty?" Major Lorne asked. "We can afford that, and no blood would have been shed."

"We only have seven hundred and that has to cover the others, too. Two fifty may be a good price but that is because he would have sold them to us and kept most of the money. Either claim we paid less or that we only bought one and the other died. This way the sale goes through the owner and since the others won't normally go for any less than three hundred each, we have to rely on volume to drop their price." Ronon explained. "If you really don't want to fight our way out of here we have to do it Teyla's way."

"Teyla's way?"

"He means haggle," Teyla explained.

"Good thinking, Ronon. How is everyone by the way?" Sam asked. "I saw Colonel Sheppard go down as well as a few others before we got dragged off."

"The Colonel and the Doc are okay, everyone else sustained a few injuries and were sent back." Major Lorne reported. He got her up to speed on the ambush and current attempt to rescue them. When he finished they heard footsteps down the corridor.

"Okay, now you are going to have to hit us," Sam told him.

"What?!" Confusion clearly on his face as well as in his voice as he spoke.

"To make sure the price is lowered, when the man comes back in he has to think you are doing him a favor by buying us. We have to appear untrained and, as he called it, feral. To him it has to look like selling us to you for very little is better than us ending up dead and he gets nothing. It is how the SGC got SG-3 and SG-5 once. The slave traders practically begged us to buy them because they were so much trouble." She explained.

"Then it should be the other way around. Hit me," Ronon told Teyla. She didn't hesitate; she just drew back her head and slammed it hard against his before kicking out as far as the chains would let her. Sam whispered sorry and bit the Major's neck hard enough to draw a little blood. He cursed and back peddled as the door opened.

* * *

Sheppard glanced over at McKay and Katie as he tried to keep her in control.

"Sir," Cadman whispered. "I think you have to look like you're having a good time too."

"Lieutenant..."

"Laura."

"Laura, how you want to do this?"

"It can't be that bad. A little necking; maybe a few kisses. All we have to do is make the silhouette look convincing and maybe some moans. Come on, haven't you ever had to spend seven minutes in heaven under a sheet with onlookers as a kid?"

"I never had to fake it."

"You have got to be kidding me." She rolled her eyes and hooked her leg around his. In one quick move she flipped them both over and almost fell off the bed. "The things I do."

She kissed him and he couldn't help but moan. McKay had given up fighting his girlfriend so they both were caught by surprise when the curtain was pulled back and the proprietor stuck his head in. "My apologies, I am being called to your companions. Did you wish to continue testing these two or would you also like to attend?"

"I think we are ready. These two should do." Sheppard scrambled off the bed as fast as he could as McKay practically leapt off of Katie, who was still a bit out of it.

* * *

Sam saw Sheppard and McKay enter behind whom she assumed to be the big boss. She hoped this would be quick; the wall at her back was cold. She glared a bit to appear unhappy but otherwise kept silent. The man looked both Teyla and Sam over then turned towards Ronon and Major Lorne. "Have you chosen these two or did you want to take a look at the other women."

"These will do," Ronon replied without blinking.

The guard unlocked their chains from the walls and everyone walked out. Sam saw Lieutenant Cadman and Doctor Brown waiting for them, the lather looked a bit out of it which worried her slightly, but otherwise she was relieved to see they were both alive, appeared well and had not been tortured.

"Sir, you didn't have to interrupt your testing. We can conduct our business after you are finished if you prefer," the trader addressed McKay.

"Huh?"

"Or would you prefer to select a different slave?"

"She's fine, I mean she will do fine."

"And I take it you are satisfied by your selection?" He turned to Sheppard. "You know, we also sell the anel root to help you last longer."

"I can last long enough, you just interrupted me."

"Interrupted? Did you not feed her the fruit then?"

"She said she had some already," Sheppard responded.

"Never trust a slave. Here, make her consume one," he claps and a servant was by his side with a bowl. "As a matter of fact, the other two should eat some too, that is if you can get them to consume them. I won't have you say I sold defective goods."

Sheppard looked over the fruit again as the man continued.

"And if these are all you are after today, say three hundred each for the two regular slaves and one fifty each for the ferals."

"That is a bit excessive, even for ferals," Lorne cut in. "Plus we are buying several, what if one turns out to be worth only a house or kitchen slave."

"I assure you I would never overcharge. Our fruits are grown in adubo soil. A reaction to them guarantees fertility. We sell only breeding stock."

"Major, Ronon, take one," Sheppard pointed at the bowl as he unhooked the safety strap off his belt knife. "Let's see if they are indeed worth it." Sam saw the gesture however and yelled. She barreled into him and knocked him down. He winced as his shoulder hit the ground and he hissed into her ear. "It's okay, don't fight. Just give us the fruit." She whispered in his ear before being hauled off him. Sheppard dusted himself off as he got back up. "Looks like you picked yourself quite a firecracker there, Major."

"Just the way I like them, Sir," Lorne responded with a grin.

They made a show of forcing Sam and Teyla to eat the fruit but in the end all three girls had been dosed by the fruit. Sam felt her body tingle some more but shrugged it off. The three of them remained lucid even after they waited twice as long as was normal for the fruit to take hold. The trader looked into the Lieutenant's eyes but didn't approach the other two.

"I humbly apologize, we have never had this many infertile woman on the premises. Please, feel free to alter your selection. They will be disposed of."

"I didn't see anything worthwhile in the other two ferals you had, we will stick with these two." Lorne replied.

"I suppose if the price is right I'll take this one too," Sheppard grinned at Lieutenant Cadman.

"How about three hundred for the regular, two hundred for the infertile one, and two hundred for the infertile feral pair."

"I don't know," Sheppard hedged.

"Sir, don't you think you are pushing it?" the Major responded worriedly.

"Come one, he would get nothing if he had to dispose of them. If I were to buy the three at a market that sells them, I'd pay, what? Two fifty? Three hundred for the lot? He would receive probably two hundred credits selling to the middleman. I think five hundred for all four is reasonable. It is more than what he would get selling them wholesale. It isn't like he has even spent any money on them, they are so new."

"Six hundred. Though we have never had a false positive we have had false negatives before, just not often."

"Five fifty."

"Five fifty is fine, sir. All up front duckets I'm afraid, no credit chips here."

Sheppard reached into his pack and pulled out five sacks of ducket coins. "There is a hundred in each," he reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful of loose coins. "And here is the fifty. If we can have the keys and papers we will be on our way."

* * *

Katie clung to McKay all the way back to the gate. She was still obviously affected by the fruit and it didn't show any signs of wearing off. McKay tried to help her walk straight and keep her hands from wandering. The other three men kept glancing at the women and avoided eye contact. Sheppard glanced from his new boss to his friends and to the other guys. Each shared a look.

"All right, what gives? Why are you lot walking on egg shells around us?" the Lieutenant burst out.

"I figured that maybe you, I don't know," Sheppard avoided.

"We just thought that you wouldn't want us to know you are infertile," Major Lorne stepped in when Sheppard wouldn't give a straight answer.

"Oh, well I guess after Jolinar, and all the exposure to naquada, naquadria, and toxic chemicals in my life I really don't know but more than likely it is due to birth control. See in the room there was one pregnant woman that didn't eat the fruit in the main room. I didn't make much of it at the time since I thought she could have been suicidal but when I heard it detected fertility, it makes sense. A pregnant woman has different hormones than a fertile one and infertility can be hormonal based. SGC birth control mimics pregnancy so like the pregnant woman, the fruit wouldn't work on Cadman and I. Since Teyla was fine in the room earlier I figured Athosian methods did the same thing." Sam explained.

"And even if we were infertile, it isn't the end of the world. You don't have to walk on egg shells around us." Cadman cut in. "Unlike men, women don't associate fertility with whatever the female equivalent to virility is."

"All I got was a headache and a little pain." Teyla added.

"A headache? All I got was a slight tingle." Cadman said.

"Goosebumps for me." Sam replied. "Maybe SGC and Athosian birth control differences are the reason we experienced different reactions."

"Maybe," Teyla responded absentmindedly. Sam was going to pursue it further but McKay interrupted.

"If we can have this female bonding moment elsewhere that would be great. Talk of female hormones usually leads to talking about cycles and other things I would rather not know about."

"Okay, no more hormone talk, what about football?" Sheppard asked cheerfully. Everyone groaned.

* * *

In the infirmary everyone waited patiently for the assessment. Katie had been sedated after she started trying to drag McKay down in public. Sheppard had his shoulder looked at and he downed a painkiller. They continued to converse and tease McKay as Doctor Keller arrived back from the lab.

"Well, Teyla, I don't see anything wrong with you at all, no traces of anything foreign. As for the three of you, you all have a foreign chemical in your systems. It may not be expressed in the two of you but it is still there. I think your hypothesis about birth control may be half right. At least in that it stops the body from expressing it but for some reason it isn't being neutralized. I'm looking into Teyla's blood work to see why her system is clear in hopes of finding a cure. Any ideas on how the natives deal with it?" Doctor Keller pointed out.

"It looks like they are fine if they are pregnant," Sam said.

"And sex may have something to do with it. The trader didn't appear worried that I was fine until after he found out we didn't actually do anything," Cadman added as she gestured to Sheppard.

"That makes sense. They all involve different hormones. Maybe an infusion of testosterone will mimic the sex part, hopefully that should do it. I'll get started on that angle as well. I want you both to keep tabs on yourselves but since the two of you haven't shown any symptoms and are not due for your birth control to lapse for a while I think it is safe to release you for now. Hopefully, we can cure this mess by the time Dr. Brown wakes up."

* * *

Sam leaned over her desk and rubbed her shoulder. Her head hung down so she was startled when Major Lorne walked up and tapped her.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I must have zoned out for a second. I'm fine, just feeling like a teenager again with all these goose bumps."

"You got goose bumps as a kid?"

"I was one of those girls that no boy noticed. Too busy with a book to give dating much of a chance and my father was quite intimidating to any would be suitors. But there was one boy, my first crush, that every time he was near I would sprout goose bumps all over the back of my neck and down my arms."

"I was the nervous stomach myself. When I was a junior I tried to ask a cheerleader in my class out and she just turned me down flat. Next thing I knew one of the team student math tutors, this little freshman Asian girl who was in the same algebra class as we were and quite intelligent, she kisses me. I found out later it was on a dare and I was her first kiss. I was only the second string quarterback but apparently she chose me because I had a decent GPA. It felt odd to know that I was chosen because of my brains and not my skills on the field or my looks. I always gave the smart girls a shot after that.

"Didn't you almost marry that biochemist?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I did," Lorne paused. "How did you know?"

"You sort of told me in an alternate universe. You were SG-1's leader in that world." Sam sifts through her desk drawer. "Here, this is a picture of the other you and the other me." Sam pulled out a picture of the two of them together, smiles plastered on both of their faces and her arm draped over him.

"Were they married?" Lorne pointed to the wedding ring clearly on her finger.

"I thought so too, but no, their Sam was married to Rodney," Sam winced.

"I take it he wasn't a smart-ass jerk in that world."

Sam laughed. "Actually Evan called him a dot COM millionaire smartass and asked if he was a jerk in our universe. I think it's a constant or something."

"That's right, you never met Rod. He was an okay guy."

"Which goes to show you that nothing is a given in the grand scheme of things. At first I thought it was, I mean in two universes there was a Doctor Samantha that was either engaged or married to their O'Neill's. But then this time I was married to Rodney. In another, Dad didn't die and I married Pete after all."

"Wasn't that the Carter that came to steal the ZPM from us? I remember reading the mission report." Lorne mentioned.

"Speaking of reports, did you come to deliver yours?"

"Actually no, Sheppard sent me to check on you, what with the whole slaver thing and all. They didn't hurt you or anything did they? I mean like Young's team on P3X-465."

"No, thanks for the concern though. It was basic torture, I've suffered worse in my academy days; no trip to Heightmeyer's couch required. Why did he send you instead of coming in himself?"

"He thinks cause I've been a part of the SGC so long you would open up to me. I told him he should send a female instead cause I mean..."

"I'm not much of a female bonding type. Other than Janet and Vala I've never really had female best friends. Just tell him other than a little rough handling I'm fine. I think you fared worse with my bite." Sam pointed to Lorne's neck.

"Yeah, that. What possessed you to bite me anyways?"

"Nothing really, your neck was just there." Sam rubbed her own neck some more.

"Are you sure you're all right? You keep," Lorne moved in to look at her neck and saw a bruise forming. "Ouch, that bruise is going to leave a mark if you don't leave it alone."

"Bruise?"

"Yeah, you have a purple little welt there on the side." Lorne leaned in to take a closer look, his breath brushing along her and she shivered. "Sorry."

"It's okay, just be quick about it. This chemical is really doing a number on me."

Lorne chuckled and examined the welt. "Do you remember getting hit?" he asked as his fingers pressed gently over it. "Ahhh."

"What is it?"

Lorne's hand rubbed his own bite mark slightly. Sam glanced up at the gesture and then at her hand thoughtfully. She pinched it and Lorne reacted as if she pinched him.

"Okay," Sam smiled. "I think we should both go back to the infirmary."

* * *

Cadman and Sheppard walked in to see Lorne and Carter already in the infirmary. McKay was by Katie's bed.

"So what's up?" Sheppard inquired.

"Apparently the drug may cause a physical connection between the two parties. We may need to perform a few tests to see if you both are affected," Keller stated.

"A connection?"

"Well, I'm getting a welt in the same spot where I bit the Major, like my body is manifesting his wound and when he touched it he felt the pain. When I pinched myself we both felt it. Same happened when he pinched himself."

"Actually the welt is starting to look more like a bite mark as time passes."

"So you wanted to check to see if we are experiencing the same thing?" Sheppard asked.

"Given both women use the same type of birth control their symptoms should mirror each other."

"So what should we do to test this... OWE!" Sheppard winced as Cadman smacked his arm hard.

"Nope, nothing." Cadman smiled.

Sheppard glared at her and pinched himself. He winched but she didn't react. He pinched harder and still nothing from her. "You don't feel that?" Cadman shook her head.

"Well, either way I think I've got the solution. We are going to go with the testosterone approach since it would be easier than mimicking a true pregnancy. We figure the cure is supposed to be administered during sex and semen has a low amount of it. It seems to neutralize the chemical in the blood samples quite easily so..." Doctor Keller injected a syringe into Katie's IV. "Hopefully she will wake up fine."

* * *

Sam was happy that both Katie and Cadman had been cured. Their blood work came back clean but hers wouldn't. There were still traces of the chemical in her blood even after four seperate variations and attempts. Lorne and her were still connected and though it seemed to diminish with distance it didn't go away. They had sent a team to find out more information on the fruit but all that did was tell them that they were in this predicament because she tasted his blood and were one of the rare couples that were compatible. It was suppose to be a sign for a slave owner to free his slave and marry her. When asked about cures to the physical link they said something cryptic along the lines of 'when bliss was obtained then they both would be free though they would be bonded forever'; whatever that meant the expedition hadn't a clue.

Sam stared at her bedroom ceiling in frustration. She had picked a room near the military section instead of taking the nicer quarters in the science wing and though she was happy with them she thought she should try to put some distance from Lorne's quarters, which were down the hall, at least for the night. Her body tingled and her hormones ragged. She was beginning to wish she had not forgotten to pack C sized batteries like she had intended to. She remember the one time she felt this way she ended up having a one night stand with someone she barely remembers to this day. If she didn't take matters into her own hands she thought she would burst. Hell, in this state she would probably pounce on Sheppard if he were outside, or even worse, McKay.

She tried to picture Pete, or one of her old Jack fantasies but her mind went to a simpler time; the party for the SGC after the mission on P3X-403 including Major Lorne. Sam had tried to branch out from her team and ended up near the punch bowl with the good Major. The memory wasn't sexual in anyway, she remembered only having a good time talking to him, and yet the memory sent tingles down her body as if it were a porno running through her mind. Her mind wandered back to the room when he had her pinned against the wall and whispered in her ear. Memory upon memory, every chance encounter she ever had with Lorne, flickered through her mind. Her fingers wandered and circled as her mind remembered his hand on her neck, sparks flying in her body as well as her mind.

As her body grew tense and hummed with desire and need, she remembered Evan when he finally realized his Sam was dead, truly realized she wasn't his Sam. It was why she had jumped to the conclusion they had been married and so careful to ask her question when he came into the lab. It was why she looked up at him specifically when their Hammond talked about her presence there being difficult for both sides. The tears on his face had fallen to his lips and she remembered tasting them as he kissed her with grief and loss and something more. That Evan had been in love with his Sam. Her body crashed as she came at the memory of that one kiss; her body slowly coming down from its crest as the memories lingered.

When her legs didn't feel like noodles and could support her weight she went to a shelf where she had placed her jewelry box. She pulled out a necklace of a simple teardrop shaped stone pendant and fingered it delicately. She stared at it for a moment then placed it on her nightstand. Her mind drifted off to sleep thinking about what might have been.

* * *

Sam pocketed the necklace while she got dressed. She wondered if Lorne would be there at breakfast and shook it off. She was a full bird Colonel and thoughts like that could get her in big trouble. She was his commanding officer and she wasn't going to ruin her career, or his, on something so petty as acting on her attraction.

She saw Doctor Lee chatting with McKay and snuck past them to the serving line. She sighed in relief that they didn't see her and wondered which one would get on her nerves more. She mused as she ate, her mind going over the day's schedule. She finished her meal and walked to the mess window to return her dishes.

"You okay?" Lorne asked from behind her.

"Um, yeah, considering. I slept well at least. You?"

"Actually yeah. I ...well..." Lorne stuttered and turned quickly as his ears turned red. He bumped into the table's corner and slammed his food tray hard into his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Sam put his tray up for him and walked him out.

"Yeah, are you?"

"Actually I didn't feel anything." Sam pinched her hand and grimaced in pain.

"Nothing," he flexed his hand. "I guess we aren't connected anymore. Maybe it just took a little longer for the cure to kick in." The hallway was quiet, most people still inside eating or on their way.

Sam's hand went to her neck and she rubbed. "Anything?"

"Nothing. Let me see," He leaned over her and looked. Sam tilted her head down and she felt him touch her skin. She still felt a shiver and the goose bumps rise but it wasn't as intense. "It's gone, though I can sort of feel my touch on you like we still have some sort of connection."

"I guess we found our moment of bliss."

"The only thing I did that was remotely blissful was... oh."

"You too huh?"

"That was you? I wondered why I couldn't get it over with; and it was, I guess, more intense. What did you think about? If you don't mind my asking. For some reason all that I saw were mostly memories."

"You saw memories?"

"The day we first met, talking at a party, and a few I don't remember like one with a kiss," Lorne trailed off.

"You were crying," Sam pointed out.

"How did you know?"

"Those are my memories. They were what went through my mind as I..."

"You thought about me?" Lorne said in amazement.

"Well they did say this connection was a sign we were meant to marry."

"Can you imagine the look on everyone's faces if we said we planned to?"

"And you didn't think it was strange that you were fantasizing about me?" Sam asked.

"Well, every guy has at least fantasized about their co-worker, it is only natural," he grinned. "And now that you are the big boss and…" he gestured at her body. "I'm sorry. I should go. I didn't mean to..."

"To say I'm hot?"

"Yeah... I mean... you are but I don't..." Lorne hung his head. "I don't mean to imply I looked at your body or anything crude like that. I just, well you are beautiful and smart and sexy and I have thought about you for years but... I'll shut up now before I get more than a red light."

"It's okay. I'm flattered. I'm not going to bring you up on sexual harassment charges or anything."

"So how are we going to explain that you are cured?"

"Am I? When you touched me we both felt it."

"But yet you didn't share my pain and you no longer have the bite mark."

"Evan," Sam pulled him close. Her lips gently touched his and they kissed tenderly.

"That felt nice, almost like I was you and still myself at the same time." He looked into her eyes. "Do you think this is permanent?"

"I think this is what they mean by being bonded."

"And since when did you start calling me Evan?" Lorne questioned.

"Not until I died."

"Huh?"

"The Sam in the picture, her Evan was the one that kissed me. They weren't a couple or anything, it just happened because he was grieving for her. Though I think he loved her."

"And us? I mean I do love you, I always have, but given our ranks and positions," Lorne stated.

"I know. As long as the Wraith and replicators are out there neither of us can go down that path."

"So friends then?"

"Friends."

Lorne walked off and Sam stood there alone. She pulled the necklace from her pocket and put it on. Evan had given it to her before she left his world. It had caught his Sam's eye while the team walked through a bazaar off world. He had purchased it for her birthday but never had a chance to give it to her. He said he foolishly saw it as a symbol of hope that she would maybe notice him one day but now that she was gone he gave it to her so he could move on. She had asked him why he had so vehimantly denied that he was married and his reply touched her. It was a denial that he could ever think of divorcing her.

Sam tucked in under her shirt next to her dog tags. She knew it was against regs but she didn't care. It would remind her of what she was fighting for; and to her a reprimand was worth a little hope.


End file.
